Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, emerged from a tense confirmation hearing yesterday with the Republican Party’s support intact. A Senate vote on whether he should lead the Pentagon, a department with three million employees and a budget of $849 billion could come as soon as Monday.
Over hours of questioning, Democrats quizzed Hegseth about sexual misconduct allegations, Hegseth was accused of rape in 2017 and his drinking habits.
They called him unfit to lead the Pentagon and grilled Hegseth, a former Fox News host, on his long history of disparaging comments about women in the military.
It was unclear whether Hegseth had left the hearing with the votes he needed. If all Senate Democrats oppose him, Hegseth will have to secure the backing of at least 50 of the 53 Republicans in the chamber.
A report was released yesterday that detailed the special counsel’s investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
